TAI Beng Hai officially became the interim coach today, but he should face no problems handling the players, as most of them were with him when he was the national juniors assistant coach in 2004.A majority of the 2004 Rotterdam junior world cup players made the grade to the senior side, and Beng Hai knows them like the back of his hands.
“I see no problems with the players as I know their playing style, while they know me as they practically grew up with Sarjit Singh (former national coach) and I when we were preparing for Rotterdam,” said Beng Hai.
Beng Hai graduated as the juniors coach in 2006, when Sarjit was elevated to the seniors side, but he quit the post in October 2007 because of other commitments.
He came back as the women’s coach, but has accepted an offer to return to the men.
“I start training on Jan 5, and have recalled 30 players for training purposes. Only S. Kuhan and Jiwa Mohan are not on the list, while the rest are the same,” said Beng Hai.
The Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) did not extend Sarjit Singh’s contract, which expired on Dec 31, and are now looking for a foreign coach to chart Malaysia’s future. Beng Hai has been named as an interim measure, but it looks like he might be ‘stuck’ with the job.
The Azlan Shah Cup is in April, while the Asia Cup in May, and the MHF have had no luck with the foreign coaches that they have approached.
“We are still looking for a suitable foreign coach but it wont be easy as our ream is ranked 15th in the world, while the targets are too close.
“We have to do well in the Asia Cup (which offers the gold medallist direct entry into the 2010 Delhi World Cup) and that is why we cant hurry and just hire any foreign coach,” said MHF deputy president Nur Azmi Ahmad.
MHF had looked towards South Korea, Australia and Europe for coaches, but all of them have prior commitments, and it is almost akin to scratching the barrel right now.
